Where to Pick Pumpkins in Syracuse, NY

The first cold snap hits Central New York sometime in late September, and suddenly everyone wants a pumpkin. Good news: there are eight farms within about half an hour of downtown Syracuse where you can pick your own, and most of them throw in a corn maze and a cider donut while you're there.

Here's where to go:

The Pumpkin Hollow | Syracuse

Ten minutes southwest of downtown, on 41 acres in the town of Onondaga, The Pumpkin Hollow bills itself as the original pumpkin patch of Syracuse. There are around 30 varieties of pumpkins and gourds in the field, plus cornstalks and Indian corn if you're decorating a porch. Kids get a corn maze, a tractor-drawn hay ride through the patch, a hay jump, and farm animals to feed. The Gift Barn and Ice Cream Shoppe handle the rest: apple fritters, fresh cider, and seasonal decor. Parking and admission are free, and the farm is open daily through Halloween.

Tim's Pumpkin Patch | Marietta

Tim Leubner planted more pumpkins than he knew what to do with back in 1986 and sold them for a dollar apiece. Forty years later, the farm on Rose Hill Road is a full day out, and the hilltop views alone justify the 30-minute drive. The season runs from late August through Halloween. There's no admission fee for the retail area and pre-picked pumpkins, but you'll need a ticket for the wagon ride, the u-pick field, the corn maze, the hay fort, the animal barn, skee-ball, and corn hole. Save room for a milkshake. Adults can also duck into the Brew Barn, which keeps later hours than the farm.

Abbott Farms | Baldwinsville

The Abbotts have farmed this land since 1866, and the fifth generation now runs it as a 50-acre u-pick destination ten minutes from the city. Pumpkins are grown on site, and the fall festival gives kids somewhere to spend their energy: a corn maze, wagon rides, tube slides, a zipline, a jump pillow, an apple cannon, and a farmyard that includes two mini ponies. The cider press runs on weekends and you can watch it work. Then there's the food, which is half the reason people come back. Scratch-made cider donuts, fudge, a rotating milkshake of the week, and a café doing breakfast and lunch. Abbott's Wine & Cidery sits inside the market with their own small-batch hard ciders on tap.

Cicero Pumkin Patch | Cicero

Yes, the sign is missing a "p." The family has spelled it that way for decades, on the grounds that they're not an ordinary pumpkin patch. What they are is the home of the Hermit Hayride, a wagon trip into the woods past Eye World, Candy Lane, Boot Hill, a graveyard, and a stop at the old Hermitville School before Mr. Hermit himself turns up. It's built for kids rather than teenagers looking for a scare. There's also a corn maze and a nature walk on the property. For decorating, this is the best-stocked stop on the list: gourds, cornstalks, broom corn, strawberry corn, multi-colored corn, and white pumpkins. Open late September through the end of October.

Springside Farm | Pompey

Twelve miles south of the city limits, the Drexler family turns their farm into something closer to a park each fall. One Maze Park Pass covers all of it: the corn maze, which gets a new design every year, plus tree and jungle mazes, duck races, wagon rides, a petting zoo, pedal cars, zip lines, human foosball, a jumping pad, and two playgrounds. Gem mining and laser tag cost extra. They grow more than 35 varieties of pumpkins and gourds, and sell ornamental corn, cornstalks, and hay bales alongside them. Walk the path up Bo's Hill for the view, then work your way through the donut stand and the grill. The farm store carries yarn and clothing from their own alpacas.

Our Farm | Manlius

Our Farm has been selling produce off Peth Road since 1985, but people come for Boris. The trebuchet has launched more than 1,500 pumpkins over the field, and watching a 20-pounder travel 250 feet is the kind of thing kids talk about for a week. Activities run every weekend in October plus Indigenous Peoples' Day, while the self-serve stand stays open daily through Halloween. Beyond the pumpkins, which come in every shape and size and can be personalized with names, there are wagon rides through the fields, a themed corn maze, a corral of sheep, goats, and a donkey named Sherman, and horse rides for kids on weekends. The stand also carries squash, gourds, cornstalk bundles, ornamental corn, maple syrup, and rhubarb sauce.

Navarino Orchard | Syracuse

Follow Route 20 south into apple country and you'll reach Navarino Orchard, run by the Burrell family for three generations. Pumpkins are usually ready by late September and last through October, and since more than 20 varieties of u-pick apples are ripening at the same time, you can handle both fall traditions in one trip. The country store is stocked with homemade pies, breads, donuts, jams, and local crafts, and the original 200-year-old barn has been converted into a café serving food and drinks made with farm products. Goats and chickens keep the younger kids busy. This is a smaller, quieter operation than the big festival farms, which is the point.

Critz Farms | Cazenovia

Critz sits just over the line in Madison County, but it's a 30-minute drive from Syracuse and worth crossing for. The Fall Harvest Celebration runs mid-September through late October on 350 acres, with a new corn maze design every year, an animal area with more than 25 residents, wagon rides out to the pumpkin field and apple orchard, playgrounds, a giant hay bale climbing tower, and a cow train for the little ones. Pick your own pumpkins or grab pre-picked. Watch the 1890s four-screw cider press in action, eat at Critz Café, and finish in the tap room with a farm-brewed beer or one of their award-winning hard ciders. Weekend admission is ticketed by time slot, so buy ahead on busy October Saturdays.

Before you go

Farm schedules shift with the weather and the crop. Wagon rides and field access are the first things to close after heavy rain, and some smaller patches run field admission as cash-only even when the store takes cards. Check the farm's Facebook page the morning of your visit.